JB4XX Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Do the forks have to be removed or can you simply drain and refill? Its the only fluid that has been in my bike since I bought it almost two years ago so I dont know if it has ever been changed. How often should it be changed?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GriffXX Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Do the forks have to be removed or can you simply drain and refill? Its the only fluid that has been in my bike since I bought it almost two years ago so I dont know if it has ever been changed. How often should it be changed?? Yeh, what he said! I asked the local wrench at the crappy stealership and he says you never have to change the fork oil and that he's never heard of it biong done. That was confidence inspiring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willxx23 Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 You can drain it at the very bottom but you have to have the front wheel off the see it, there are one allen head screw under each fork leg. DO IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moriartii Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Once you have the front wheel off you are over half way to removing the forks. Take em off and do it right. Plus you can dump the innards to see how bad the bushings and what not are worn. Very easy job Kinley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exskibum Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Once you have the front wheel off you are over half way to removing the forks. Take em off and do it right. Plus you can dump the innards to see how bad the bushings and what not are worn. Very easy job Kinley +10 Once you do it, you'll realize how easy it is to do it right. Only by removing the forks are you going to get all the oil out, and it DOES get filthy. Pump the tubes and the cartridge shaft and turn the forks upside down to get it all out. Then put in a little fresh oil and do the same thing to flush the last of the dirty, particulate filled shit out. While you don't absolutely need it, the Motion Pro tool for filling the forks (with the syringe set up) is well worth the money in getting the forks filled to the right level easily. EDIT to add: Here's a page on the process from a site Warchild put together or helped put together for the FJR 1300 re: fork oil change instructions. I thought he'd done the same thing for the Bird on another site, but I can't find it. The Bird's OEM forks are simpler, since they do not have preload adjusters or rebound damping adjusters like the FJR -- just simple fork caps, with the preload adjusted by the length of the 6 or 7 inch steel spacer inside. Otherwise, the procedure is essentially the same, though the height of the airspace (which is what is critical, not volume of oil) is different (check your service manual): http://www.fjrtech.com/getdbitem.cfm?item=47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redxxrdr Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I think you were talking about this guide Warchild did. I kept it in my favorites. wilbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exskibum Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I think you were talking about this guide Warchild did. I kept it in my favorites. wilbers Yep -- that one's the shit!!! Step by step idiot proof instructions. I think I must have printed that out and saved it as hardcopy in a binder. But check the service manual for the spec on the amount of airspace. I can't remember, but it seems to me that the '97 and the '03 had different air spaces specified (I think WC refers to 150 mm). I don't have the time to go check now, and I could be confused, since I also have an FJR with yet a different spec to confuse me, and I did the forks on all three bikes within the last 6 or 7 months. (EDIT to ADD: Just checked -- at p. 13-24 of the '99 - '03 service manual, it calls for 142 mm to fork oil level, and at p. 13-23 of the '97 - '98 service manual, it calls for 154 mm to fork oil level, but that half inch difference is probably inconsequential.) Looks like it's Ruhi that WC is lecturing there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuXXtin Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 Do the forks have to be removed or can you simply drain and refill? Its the only fluid that has been in my bike since I bought it almost two years ago so I dont know if it has ever been changed. How often should it be changed?? Don't change it, just get a new bike. :icon_doh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXTi Posted June 19, 2006 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I took mine off to change the oil. It was easy. I didn't take the sliders out of the lowers, but I did rinse mine out with kerosene before reassembly just to clean them a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB4XX Posted June 20, 2006 Author Share Posted June 20, 2006 Do the forks have to be removed or can you simply drain and refill? Its the only fluid that has been in my bike since I bought it almost two years ago so I dont know if it has ever been changed. How often should it be changed?? Don't change it, just get a new bike. :icon_doh: I guess I could just CRASH it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D2 Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Josh, why don't we just invite Mike B down to your place and we can do both our bikes at the same time. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXBIRD Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 Just drain them from the bottom. Do you take the oil pan off to change the engine oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuXXtin Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 See Josh, Ruhi's got the idea!! Because I did have 4500 miles on my oil when I removed my oil pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXBIRD Posted June 20, 2006 Share Posted June 20, 2006 But you are changing the oil pan not only changing oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuXXtin Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Just being thorough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiona Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 So it seems that chaning the fork oil isn't so much a chore but what about chaning the springs while you have the forks off? Is it such a difficult task? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Krypt Keeper Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 did my forks last night.. Took me right at an hour to pull her down and clean and add fresh fluid and put everything back together.. Only think I didn't put back on was the front fender cause I soaked it down to get the road grime and bugs off it and let it set over night.. The springs fall right out the top.. So you just pop in the new spring you desire and measure your fluid to desired amount and what fluid weight you want and add it in and put back together.. I did mine so quickly cause the wife stayed upstairs and the boy was in the bed.. nothing but me, my bike and some good tunes to listen to.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiona Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 did my forks last night.. Took me right at an hour to pull her down and clean and add fresh fluid and put everything back together.. Only think I didn't put back on was the front fender cause I soaked it down to get the road grime and bugs off it and let it set over night.. The springs fall right out the top.. So you just pop in the new spring you desire and measure your fluid to desired amount and what fluid weight you want and add it in and put back together.. I did mine so quickly cause the wife stayed upstairs and the boy was in the bed.. nothing but me, my bike and some good tunes to listen to.. So for those of us who want a better ride it's adviseable at this time to swap in new springs along with replacing the oil? Seems like it would be a pretty simple mod for only a couple hundred bucks... but then I think, if it's so easy, why hasn't everyone done it... :icon_think: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 So for those of us who want a better ride it's adviseable at this time to swap in new springs along with replacing the oil? Seems like it would be a pretty simple mod for only a couple hundred bucks... but then I think, if it's so easy, why hasn't everyone done it... :icon_think: Fork springs/spacers can be done with the forks on the bike. it's really not difficult, and certainly worth the extra $, IMHO. I will most likely be doing the forks on the 97XX I'm restoring. I'll take pictures of the whole process, and do a nice write up with a "how to". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiona Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 So for those of us who want a better ride it's adviseable at this time to swap in new springs along with replacing the oil? Seems like it would be a pretty simple mod for only a couple hundred bucks... but then I think, if it's so easy, why hasn't everyone done it... :icon_think: Fork springs/spacers can be done with the forks on the bike. it's really not difficult, and certainly worth the extra $, IMHO. I will most likely be doing the forks on the 97XX I'm restoring. I'll take pictures of the whole process, and do a nice write up with a "how to". Which aftermarket springs are you going to go with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Just drain them from the bottom. Do you take the oil pan off to change the engine oil? Yeah, exact same thing. 1) There's no filter for your fork oil, it's a good idea to dismantle them and clean up the damper rod/bushings and such real good while you're changing the oil, or at the very least flush them out real good. 2) I have yet to have someone explain to me how they accurately set fork oil level with the forks mounted. 3) If you've pulled the front wheel to get to the drain plugs, you're halfway to removing them, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXBIRD Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 2) I have yet to have someone explain to me how they accurately set fork oil level with the forks mounted. I did once but you missed it. Take two measurements; one from the very rear of the fork tube and one from the front, substract the rear (smaller number) from the front (larger number) and divide it by two (2). Now you have the number which is the half of the height you measure from the rear due to the rake angle of the fork. Substract that number from the measurement on the rear and you have the height as you have the forks are standing up straight. Simple, eh? Nexxt...? Are you still not smiling fucko? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Krypt Keeper Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 2) I have yet to have someone explain to me how they accurately set fork oil level with the forks mounted. I did once but you missed it. Take two measurements; one from the very rear of the fork tube and one from the front, substract the front (larger number) from the rear (smaller number) and divide it by two (2). Now you have the number which is the half of the height you measure from the rear due to the rake angle of the fork. Substract that number from the measurement on the rear and you have the height as you have the forks are standing up straight. Simple, eh? Nexxt...? Nice idea Ruhi, by teh time I find my calculator and other BS I will have my forks already off the bike and filling them with oil... Happy Birthday big boy... I forget the website but you add in your weight and it will suggest which springs to use in your bike for your weight and riding style... I take a 1.0 spring cause I am at 235lbs to 240lbs..... (its mostly cock) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbird Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Nexxt...? If you're feeling all spunky, there's still two points in my original post you failed to address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exskibum Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I forget the website but you add in your weight and it will suggest which springs to use in your bike for your weight and riding style... I take a 1.0 spring cause I am at 235lbs to 240lbs..... (its mostly cock) Race Tech -- here's the link to the calculator for the XX: http://www.racetech.com/evalving/SpringRat...SpringType=Fork BTW -- Happy B-day, Ruhi! And for the sake of accuracy, I think WC's explanation was something like: "you're a big boy, you do your motorcycle maintenance however you see fit. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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